Chapter 1
Gliding through the water, Naia grinned feeling free as she leaped out of the water. There was nothing on this planet that she loved than the freedom that being a mermaid brought her. Stretching her arms out in front of her, Naia dived back into the water.
“It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful you are when you are swimming.” Orrin Thomas comments as he swims up next to Naia. Reaching out, Orrin twirls a string of black hair around his finger. “No one else is as suited to being a mermaid as you.”
“I love everything about this life.” Naia agrees as she twirls her sleek green fin around Orrin’s blue one. If there was anything that she loved more than being a mermaid, it was the merman swimming beside her. Orrin was the one she wanted to spend all of her days with, and since they were immortal (unless severely injured) she had a very long time to look forward to spending with him.
“Something tells me you didn’t just come to tell me how pretty you think I am.” Naia teases.
“I seemed to recall calling you beautiful.” Orrin smiles and Naia flips her fin and cuts through the water a few feet away.
“You are right though, you’re father thinks you are too far away from the city and wants you to come back. He doesn’t like when you swim so close to the land masses.” Orrin says softly, knowing that Naia wouldn’t like it. She loved being able to swim without any kind of restraint. When there wasn’t any danger to their home, her father allowed her to leave as she pleased. But Orrin was starting to hear hints of things that were unpleasant heading their way. If what Orrin thought was taking place, then Orrin knew that Dane Donovan wouldn’t like Naia being so far from home.
Sighing, Naia rolled her eyes. Her father could be way too overprotective, especially when he thought war was coming. He tried to hide the tension from her and her brother, but they both knew something was going on. Still her father should trust that she wouldn’t allow the Land to lure her in, she loved being a mermaid and even if legends said that if a mermaid were to exit the water during the day, she would trade her tail for a pair of legs, until the sun went down when her tail would return whether or not she was in the water. Naia had no interest in finding out where the legend was true or not. All she wanted was to marry Orrin and start a family of her own.
“You’re father only wants for you to be safe.” Orrin says softly.
“I know” Naia admits “But just the humans killed my mom, it doesn’t mean the same will happen to me.” Orrin said nothing, just swam up next to Naia.
“You’re my world, I couldn’t imagine something happening to you.” Orrin spoke softly as he reached and gently stroked Naia’s face. She smiled at him, just the site of the smile making his heart beat faster. It was like watching the sun rise in the morning, bright and beautiful.
“You are more than I ever hoped to have” Naia told him, swimming so close to him that there was barely any space in between the two. “I am so glad you have always been my best friend.”
“I’ll always be that and more” Orrin tells her, smiling before gently pressing his lips to hers.
Orrin Thomas and Naia Donovan had been best friends since childhood, they had grown up as neighbors. They were as close as friends could be from the day that Orrin had dealt with the bullies that had been picking on her. From that day forward they had been inseparable and it was decided that when they came of age, they would marry.
Dane Donovan was leader of the North Tribe, there were four main tribes, North, East,West, and South. Within each of those tribes there were hundreds of family clans. Naia was of the Donovan Clan while Orrin was of the Thomas Clan. The strongest merman of them all was the tribal leader, which just so happened to be Naia’s father, Dane. He was in charge of making sure that peace reigned amonst the clans of the North Tribe. He was also there to gather the troops should any kind of violence take place. He was a fierce fighter and a fierce protector he would die for the Tribe if that was what was needed. If that was the case, Naia’s brother Daseon would take over.
Naia could care less about Tribe politics, who the leader was or was not had never mattered to her. Sometimes though it hindered her ability to be able to travel because her father wanted someone with her all the time. The one major rule they had was DO NOT BE SEEN BY HUMANS. If so much as one mermaid or merman were spotted by the landwalkers they would be banished from the tribe and that included the tribal leader’s daughter.
“Do you ever wonder about what goes on above the sea?” Naia questions so softly Orrin wondered if he had heard her correctly.
“I do not.” he answers “and neither should you. It’s too dangerous to be thinking about things like that.”
“I know that, I just can’t help wondering if they would be as scared of us as we are supposed to be of them.” Naia commented, not mentioning the handsome young man she had seen sitting out on the beach, his features had seemed like he had been broken by something or someone.
Naia turns her head towards Orrin to try and change the focus her thoughts had taken. She couldn’t risk thinking about what had happened to the young man on the beach. It could cost her very dearly. She should be thinking about her future with the merman beside her and the babies he would give her. As the swam Naia allowed her fingers to run down Orrin’s muscular back, smiling as Orrin twitched from the unexpected contact. They would have a handsome family, what with Orrin’s gorgeous blue eyes and Naia’s black hair. Or maybe they would have Naia’s green eyes and Orrin’s blond hair.
“Earth to Naia” Orrin’s chuckle interrupts her thoughts and she forces herself to focus on Orrin’s voice. He grins as if knowing where her thoughts had been.
“We will be married before you know it.” Orrin says “and then we can concentrate on making our own family.”
“I can’t wait.” Naia murmurs as she wraps her tail around Orrin’s. “I want several babies.”
“I know” Orrin says smiling widely as he pulls Naia closer. “I want to give you those children and I look forward to raising them with you.”
“They will be strong like you.” Naia breaths against Orrin’s chest.
“And they will be just as gorgeous as their mother.” Orrin adds and Naia smiles, but even so her thoughts drift back to the lone human that had been sitting huddled and badly beaten on the beach. Not even the humans could escape violence it seemed.
